Considered the pioneering game in the strategy genre, you can now play The Sumerian Game (a recreated version of the original) completely free on Steam.
Video games have proven to be a very valuable tool in pedagogy. The best example is Minecraft, the game by Mojang and Microsoft, as it has an edition focused on education, which many centers use to teach their students.
The surprising thing is that this already happened decades ago. Specifically, between 1962 and 1965, when Several New York schools began using a ”video game” as a teaching tool.
Its name is The Sumerian Game, and you may have never heard of it. It was created by Mabel Addisfourth grade teacher, who shaped the project with the help of his partner William McKay.
We were not wrong in naming it the ”first” strategy game of all time, even though It was almost entirely composed of texts.
The Sumerian Game It is set in the summer of 3,500 BC.and places players in control of the ruler of Lagasha region located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (in Mesopotamia, Western Asia).
The goal is to properly manage Lagash’s resources, fulfilling the tasks assigned to us by our advisor, meeting the needs of the people and managing the production sectors. In short, it’s a full-fledged management game.
The “grandfather” of strategy games is resurrected on Steam
The Sumerian Game It was published as a teaching tool in 1964.and for years it was used by educational centers in New York (and other areas of the United States) in teaching.
Its operation was as follows: a teletype was connected to a central computer, using a 300 baud modem. Then, The teletype was responsible for printing long texts with the different situationswhich the students had to solve (alone or in a group).
The source code that Mabel Addis and William McKay created in the 1960s was lost, making it impossible to return to The Sumerian Game in its purest form.
Fortunately, the study HareSoft managed to recreate part of the source code lost for 60 yearsand now They have launched a digital version from the pioneer of the strategy genre.
The best of all is that The Sumerian Gamewhich is very similar to the original game from the sixties, can be downloaded for free on Steam. And, if you want to live the most complete experience, there is a paid DLC available (it costs just over five euros).
”Manage your grain, store it to withstand harsh seasons and natural disasters, grow your population and expand your settlements. Find the best balance between population and food, or between arable land and crop fields. You have ten years to expand your city and save it from extinction. If the population drops to zero, the lesson is over.”.
If the genre appeals to you, you should try it. This living relicbecause the fact that The Sumerian Game is back is a miracle. It’s changed a bit, but it’s still a pioneering game of its time and has great educational value.
